BASIN OF VENEZUELA. 331 



wliich runs along the coast, are linked by a ridge or knot of 

 mountains known by the names of Altos de las Cocuyzas 

 (845 toises) and the Higuerote (835 toises between Los 

 Teques and La Victoria) in Ion. 69 30' and 69 50'. On the 

 west of this ridge lies the enclosed basin* of the lake of 

 Valencia or the Vallcs de Aragua ; and on the east, the basin 

 of Caracas and of the Kio Tuy. The bottom of the first- 

 mentioned basins is between 220 and 250 toises high ; the 

 bottom of the latter is 460 toises above the level of the 

 Caribbean Sea. It follows from these measures, that the 

 most western of the two longitudinal vallies enclosed by the 

 littoral Cordillera is the deepest ; while in the plains near 

 the Apure and the Orinoco, the declivity is from west to 

 east ; but we must not forget that the peculiar disposition 

 of the bottom of the two basins, which are bounded by two 

 parallel chains, is a local phenomenon altogether separate 

 irorn the causes on which the general structure of the 

 country depends. The eastern basin of the Cordillera of 

 Venezuela is not shut up like the basin of Valencia. It is 

 in the knot of the mountains of Las Cocuyzas, and of 

 Higuerote, that the Serrania de los Teques and Oripoto, 

 stretching eastward, form two valleys, those of the Rio 

 Guayre and Eio Tuy; the former contains the town of 

 Caracas, and both unite below the Caurimare. The Rio 

 Tuy runs through the rest of the basin, from west to east, 

 as far as its mouth, which is situated on the north of the 

 mountains of Panaquire. 



Cape Codera seems to terminato the northern range of 

 the littoral mountains of Venezuela, but this termination is 

 only apparent. The coast forms a vast nook, thirty-five sea 

 leagues in length, at the bottom of which is the mouth of 

 the Rio Unare, and the road of Nueva Barcelona. Stretch- 

 ing first from west to east, in the parallel of 10 37', this 



* This basin contains a small system of inland rivers, which do not 

 communicate with the ocean. The southern chain of the litteral Cor- 

 dillera of Venezuela is so depressed on the south-west, that the Rio Pao 

 is separated from the tributary streams of the lake of Tacarigua or 

 Valencia. Towards the east, the Rio Tuy, which takes its rise on the 

 western declivity of the knot of mountains of Las Cocuyzas, appears at 

 first to empty itsdf into the vallies of Aragua ; but hills of calcareoua 

 tufa, forming a ridge between Consejo and Victoria, force it to take ita 

 course south-east. 



